Attracting a Wife. Because young women generally sought out men for their physical attraction, men in some West African cultures spent much time decorating their bodies once they reached a certain age. Many wore earrings, bangles, false eyelashes, and other decorative ornaments that might be considered feminine in other cultures. When they started wearing such adornments, it was a sign they were ready to take on the role of husband. Generally, young men married when they were able to sustain a family or were eligible to be allocated to a plot of land, usually around age twenty-one or older. Depending on their physical maturity and onset of the menstrual cycle, women married earlier than men, on average around age sixteen. In Muslim and nomadic cultures, they sometimes married as early as twelve.

Negotiations. Marriage in ancient West Africa established social...